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Improving Education for Looked After Children in Wales

This project aims to reduce unauthorised absence and exclusion among fostered children and young people in Wales. It addresses issues such as lack of ambition, placement instability, inadequate educational provision, and the low educational attainments of foster carers. Recommendations include fostering ambition, providing training for carers, developing partnerships with educational personnel, and ensuring children's involvement in extracurricular activities. Contact Jodie Trotman for more information.

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Improving Education for Looked After Children in Wales

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  1. Education

  2. Background 51% of looked after children leave school with no GCSE or GNVQ qualifications (Data unit Wales, 2009) In England 11% of looked after pupils achieved 5 GCSE’s (A* to C) compared with 56% of all year 11’s (DFES, 2006) Looked after children were almost 8 times more likely to be excluded (National statistics, 2005) 50% of care leavers are not in education, employment or training on their nineteenth birthday (WAG, 2009) An educational qualification is the best single predictor of future earning power (Byner et al, 2002) Aim “Reduce unauthorised absence and exclusion amongst fostered children and young people in Wales”

  3. What is going wrong? • Research has highlighted the issues that impact on a looked after child's education experience. • This includes: • A lack of ambition • Placement instability • School exclusion and/or inadequate educational provision • Lack of specialist and supplementary help • Concentration on leaving care and preparation for independence • Low educational attainments of foster carers • The failure of corporate parenting Aim “Reduce unauthorised absence and exclusion amongst fostered children and young people in Wales”

  4. Recommendations • The Fostering Network published suggestions for changes in improving the educational achievements of looked after children • This includes: • Everyone involved in looked after children being ambitious for them • Providing regular and ongoing training to empower and equip foster carers • Developing partnerships between foster carers and relevant educational personnel (e.g. LAC Education Coordinators, designated teachers) • Enabling children’s involvement in extracurricular activities • Recognising the contributions of sons and daughters • Ensuring the views of children and young people inform local policy • Access to specialist and supplementary education and coaching • Increasing the number of 18-21 year olds who live with foster carers Aim “Reduce unauthorised absence and exclusion amongst fostered children and young people in Wales”

  5. Education Development Project Contact: Jodie Trotman Educational Development Worker 02920 440940 jodie.trotman@fostering.net

  6. Project Aim “Reduce unauthorised absence and exclusion amongst fostered children and young people in Wales” Aim • Objectives • Support effective working relationships between foster carers, social services and educational personnel • Assist foster carers in identifying sources of help for children in their care • Advocate for individual foster families (including accompanying them to meetings with schools) • Support appropriate training to enable foster carers to maximise the educational achievements of children in their care • Work directly with fostered young people to identify the barriers they face in education and the measures that would enable them to overcome this “Reduce unauthorised absence and exclusion amongst fostered children and young people in Wales”

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